First Aid Expertise

We have just heard that Orla O'Connor has qualified in the St John's Ambulance 'Total First Aid 'course, having completed her training over the summer. Stephen and Andrew Polson and Tim Knight will attain the St John Young Life Saver course in the next month. All four of our students are founder members of the new division of St John's, and have worked hard to support getting the new venture off the ground. Well done all round.

Not Just Languages

As well as all the celebrations for European Day of Languages, we had A level maths students off to W5, and A level geography and biology students at the annual sixth form conference, where they met up and worked with A level students from other local schools. Specialism really does mean achievement right across the curriculum.

Very Important Visitors

We welcomed Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane, to our European Day of Languages. She made an excellent contribution herself, speaking both Spanish and Irish fluently. However, she also met our speakers of German and French on the day. Equally important visitors were four of our feeder primary schools, who took part in and International Storytelling session, performing in French, German, Spanish and Irish for an audience of their teachers, the Minister, each other and our Shimna students. The Minister then had time to call into the huge languages table quiz underway in the hall, where she was full of praise for all the language work she had heard. She had a chance to have a look at the display of European badges and posters contributed by our students, before the prize giving got underway. Enthusiastic answers took us up to bus time. We have a wonderful languages department and wonderful students all round.

International Astronomical Success

Shannon White has won a certificate in the International Catch a Star competition. She won her award for her project entered into the competition organised by the SEO-the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere and EAAE-the European Association for Astronomy Education. The project involved work across two departments, as students made successful entries in science and in art. Shannon's project called Starry Skies was entered into the category of Catch a Star Researchers, where students had to research an astronomical topic of their own choice and discuss how large telescopes such as those of ESO Very Large Telescope, could be used to make observations to provide new insights into their chosen topic. Students from 30 different countries from all over the world took part - Argentina; Belgium; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Chile; China; Colombia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany' Greece; Hungary; India; Israel; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Serbia; slovakia; Spain' Sweden; Turkey; United Kingdom.